These images will then be examined by its Community Operations team. Any offending image will be blocked across Facebook, Facebook Messenger and Instagram.

The account which shared the image may also be disabled.

Women's Aid, which supports women affected by domestic and dating abuse in Ireland, has been raising the issue of digital abuse of women for many years, including the phenomenon commonly referred to as ‘revenge porn’.

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Margaret Martin, Director of Women’s Aid said: “We are really pleased to see this initiative by Facebook to prevent the sharing of intimate images without consent. We have been working with the social network for a number of years to address the abuse of women by intimate partners online.

"Most recently we partnered with Facebook to launch a guide to staying safe on Facebook for women. The new tools announced today are a welcome additional step in increasing safety and protection for women online.

"There are now clear steps for women, who have been victims of this form of digital abuse, to report these images and be supported to have images removed."